Hallucinogen Addiction

Hallucinogens are types of drugs that alter your awareness of reality. Let’s take a closer look at their definitions, types, and causes/risk factors.

What Are Hallucinogens?

A diverse group of drugs (both naturally occurring and man-made) forms the class of hallucinogens, which is further divided into 2 main categories as discussed in the following section.

These drugs take a person’s mind on a chemically-induced experience (commonly referred to as an acid trip) where their sense of reality is warped.

Many users take hallucinogens as a route to “expand” their minds for recreational or experimental purposes. Others use it for healing purposes or as a component of religious rituals.

The repeated use of hallucinogens can lead to a type of substance use disorder known as hallucinogen use disorder where the individual continues to take the drugs despite causing problems in their work, social life, mental, and physical health.

When under the effect of hallucinogens, people experience emotions, sensations, and thoughts that aren’t real. There’s a characteristic sense of detachment, either from the world or one’s self.

Types of Hallucinogens

Generally speaking, there are 2 primary types of hallucinogens:

Classic Hallucinogens

These include:

• LSD: Commonly known as acid, LSD is one of the most potent and widespread hallucinogenic drugs out there. It’s available as pills, tongue stamps, and liquids.
• Psilocybin: Commonly known as shrooms, this drug is present in mushrooms that can be consumed raw, dried, or as tea.
• Mescaline: Also referred to as peyote, mesc, buttons, and cactus, this drug is the active constituent in a small cactus called peyote. Native to the southwestern regions of the country, the cactus can be chewed or soaked to make tea
• DMT: Naturally occurring and synthetically produced, DMT is typically snorted or smoked but people can also drink it. Its psychoactive effects last for about an hour.
• Ecstasy: Also called Molly or MDMA, ecstasy is mostly available as tablets. This drug’s popularity in party settings is due to having both stimulant and hallucinogenic effects.

Dissociative Drugs

These include:

• Ketamine: Also known as special K, ketamine can be injected (liquid), snorted (powder), or swallowed (pills). It has no taste or smell and can cause memory loss, so it’s used as a date rape drug.
• DXM: Otherwise known as Robo, Poor Man’s PCP, or Dex, Dextromethorphan is a cough suppressant commonly added to over-the-counter cold and cough medications. Its hallucinogenic effects happen after consuming high doses.
• PCP: Also referred to as angel dust, phencyclidine is synthesized as powder, liquid, or pills. It can be smoked, injected, snorted, or swallowed.

What Are the Causes and Risk Factors of Hallucinogen Addiction?

The reasons why some people are more prone to hallucinogen addiction than others are generally either genetic or environmental.

Substance abuse problems can pass down from generation to generation. Individuals are likely to struggle with addiction (hallucinogenic or other drugs) if there are certain genes present in their DNA.

This means that if members of an individual’s family had/have addiction problems, it can serve as an indication of potential substance abuse disorders.

An individual’s environment can also affect their vulnerability to grappling with hallucinogenic abuse and addiction.

Examples of such environmental aspects include the places where they hang out, the experiences they’ve been through, and the people they spend time with.

Lack of a support system and unhealthy stress coping mechanisms can also play a role in a person’s susceptibility to abusing hallucinogens.

This information makes way for risk factors of hallucinogen addiction, which include:

• History of substance abuse disorders in the family
• Personal history of substance abuse disorders
• Age group 18 to 30
• Ability to easily access illicit drugs
• History of mental disorders in the family
• Personal history of mental disorders

How Does Hallucinogen Addiction Affect Physical and Mental Health?

Hallucinogen addiction (which is mostly psychological rather than physical, can lead to devastating penalties. These short- and long-term negative consequences not only affect the user’s mind but also their body and social/professional life.

The side effects of hallucinogen addiction on physical health include:

• Blurred vision
• Difficulty breathing
• Rapid breathing
• Increase in body temperature (hyperthermia)
• Decrease in body temperature (hypothermia)
• Impaired motor abilities
• Slurred speech
• Illogical speech
• Sensory distortions
• Inability to feel pain
• Dilated pupils
• Seizures
• Coma
• Stroke
• Memory loss
• Respiratory failure
• Death

The side effects of hallucinogen addiction on mental health include:

• Anxiety
• Confusion
• Seeing things or hearing sounds that aren’t there (hallucinations)
• Paranoia
• Objects look like they’re breathing
• Panic attack
• Feeling detached
• Mood swings
• Irritability
• Violence
• Amnesia
• Euphoria
• Major depression
• Schizophrenia triggers
• Suicidal tendencies
• Psychosis

The side effects of hallucinogen addiction on aspects of personal life include:

• Withdrawing from normal activities
• Family problems
• Failure in career
• Tensions in romantic relationships
• Friendships are strained or cut off
• Financial struggles